Dahab to Aqaba
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Aqaba,
Jordan
Monday, June 30, 2008
Nick and I relaxed in Dahab for a few days, a local well known for excellent snorkeling. Today was comprised of 14 grueling hours of travel from Dahab to Aqaba. We set out at 10 am got to the ferry station by 12 (as recommended by the guidebook for the 2pm 'fast ferry'), bought our tickets, went through 'security' (lax, as in, 'we're putting your bags through the scanner but no one will actually look at the screen.') Then off to get our exit stamps and then ... we wandered around the post-security screening section of the port. It's about a quarter mile by half mile rectangle with no signs. We eventually found the Egyptian waiting area. It's a warehouse with chairs, 60 air conditioners, all non-functioning which block 60% of the light coming through the dirty windows. Diego (a guy who we met while traveling) and I went in search of other digs and found the tourist departures 'terminal.' A small building built in the shape of a pyramid and clearly closed for several years.
We waited for the 2pm fast ferry until about 5, when we realized that the ferry had arrived, was unloading, and that consequently the port security guards were not permitting people to leave teh warehouse (so as to prevent a traffic jam.) Realizing that once the guards let people out (onto buses to take them all of a quarter mile) it'd be a mad dash to the ferry (or being crammed into smelly buses), Diego and I scouted out a route using the exit at the other side of the warehouse. Leading a small group of tourist/travelers along this route, we successfully reached the ship well in advance of everyone else, and were first to get on the ferry - the inside of which looked like it had been through a minor hurricane. We then sat on the ferry, in port for an additional 4 hours (while all the Egyptians passports were processed) before disembarking at 9pm. The 'one hour' ferry ride took 2 hours, culminating in a 1 hour adventure to get our passports back from the Jordanians in an unsigned port/yard. All told -- 14 hours door to door. Not up to German efficiency standards ... but hey, that's Egypt. Unfortunately, no photos, because people get really pissy when you show the country as it is, with all its flaws.
